MISSION Mercyhurst Preparatory School is a four-year coeducational Catholic secondary school founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926 to prepare students from all religious and ethnic backgrounds for a successful, productive, and compassionate life in an ever-changing and interdependent world. A Mercyhurst Prep education is based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ, the charism of Mercy, and a modeling of Judeo-Christian values. We strive for excellence in academic and co- curricular programs, we promote service to our local and global communities, and we foster the dedication and active support of the students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni of the Mercyhurst community.
OVERVIEW Mercyhurst Prep is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy and a member of Mercy Education and seeks a dynamic leader as its next president starting as early as Fall 2021. The successful candidate will be an experienced educational leader devoted to the mission of Mercyhurst Prep and the mission of the Mercy Education System of the Americas as the governing body of this sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy. Accountable to the Board of Trustees, the president’s primary responsibility is to articulate the vision and ideals of the Sisters of Mercy for the entire Mercyhurst Prep community and to instill these values in faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni. Responsibilities of the president also include: acting as official representative to the external education, civic, religious, business, and nonprofit communities; fundraising; institutional advancement; assuring financial stability; optimization of student enrollment; and implementing the educational mission of the Sisters of Mercy. THE MERCY CHARISM CORE VALUES Our Core Values are the hallmarks of a Mercy Education. These are the ideals we stand for and strive to live up to. We hold ourselves to these standards as an institution, as a community, and as individuals. Each value is interconnected and necessary as we take Mercy into the world. • Compelled by Mercy • Educational Courage • Inspired by Faith • Principled Leadership • A Voice for Dignity and Respect
MERCYHURST PREP COMMUNITY The Mercyhurst Prep community is comprised of 425 students in grades 9–12 and 72 FTE members of the faculty and support staff. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1, and 60% of the educational staff hold postgraduate degrees. The student body is diverse, with students from a range of ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. More than 65% of the student body received financial aid for the 2020–21 school year. Over $1,200,000 was given in academic and financial aid.
PROFILE OF A MERCYHURST PREP GRADUATE Mission and Vision As young men and women move beyond Mercyhurst Prep, they embody its mission and vision in the lives they lead. They move onward in diverse pursuits, each uniquely equipped with qualities, knowledge, and practices cultivated within these walls. Integrity The core quality toward which all MPS graduates will continue to aspire is integrity. These young persons seek integrity not only in the conventional sense of living by sound moral principles, but also in its broader sense as a state of being complete wholeness of being.
Sense of Conviction Their integrity is based upon growing personal conviction built through guided exploration of faith, spirituality, and morality. This conviction, existing in a myriad of unique forms, has been informed by the ever-relevant models of Jesus Christ and Catherine McAuley, and an appreciation of other traditions and faiths. It drives personal ethics and values, equipping the Mercyhurst Prep graduate to make responsible moral choices.
Positive Personal Qualities Our graduates integrate many qualities as they form their own identities. They enjoy a positive self-image and an awareness of their strengths and limitations. They are imaginative, creative, reflective, and enthusiastic thinkers and learners.
Strong Knowledge Base Graduates have built a strong knowledge base of content, skills, tools, and methodologies in the core disciplines and beyond, facilitated by their technological competence.
Connect Responsibly Integrity expands outward as the individual connects responsibly to the broader communal and global whole. They commit to the charism of Mercy in their connection to others.
Effectively Apply Their Knowledge With their commencement, our graduates truly begin to apply their knowledge and character qualities in their chosen pursuits. They effectively employ critical thinking skills as students, citizens, and consumers. They are literate and articulate communicators, readers, writers, listeners, and speakers.
Serve Others MPS graduates integrate their qualities, knowledge, and practices into a wholeness of being consistent with our mission and vision. Their integrity stretches across the broad spectrum of choices possible in academic, professional, and personal life.
ACADEMICS As a college preparatory school, Mercyhurst Prep’s curriculum is rigorous, but students can customize their education from a wide range of program options. Upon acceptance to Mercyhurst Prep, students are able to choose a schedule based on their strengths at three levels: College Prep, Honors and Pre-IB. Our curriculum offers mobility among course levels, and our faculty and guidance counselors work with students to facilitate the best specific learning path for each individual.
Mercyhurst Prep is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. The International Baccalaureate program is based on the concept that secondary education should promote the development of the lifelong skills of critical thinking, communication, and integration of the information through an in-depth study of the major areas of knowledge. The IB program at Mercyhurst Prep provides Lakers with a worldview education that encourages an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, languages, and points of view.
Academically eligible seniors may choose to pursue college courses for credit through our collaboration with local colleges and universities.
Just some of the colleges and universities our Lakers are enrolled in: • University of Alabama • Allegheny College • American University • Barnard College • Berklee College of Music • Boston University • Carnegie Mellon University • Case Western Reserve University • Dartmouth College • Duke University • Duquesne University • Florida State University • Fordham University • Gannon University • Hofstra University • Holy Cross University • John Carroll University • Kent State University • Kenyon College • Loyola Marymount University • Mercyhurst University • New York University • Northeastern University • Penn State University • Purdue University • Rochester Institute of Technology • Rutgers University • St. Joseph’s University • Swarthmore College • Syracuse University • Temple University • Vassar College • United States Naval Academy • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) • University of Notre Dame • University of Pittsburgh • University of Southern California • Villanova University • Wake Forest University • Washington and Jefferson College • Wheaton College
PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS Mercyhurst Prep offers 56 courses in the performing and visual arts taught by a faculty of active award-winning artists. Students exhibit artwork locally and perform year-round in the school’s nationally recognized musical theatre, dance, and choral ensembles.
ATHLETICS Our athletes win on the field, in the classroom, and in life. The combination of outstanding athletic programs and the Mercy Charism builds pride and spirit as well as some of the region’s finest student-athletes. Mercyhurst Prep is home to eleven PIAA state championship teams. Athletic teams include: football, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, cheerleading, baseball, rowing, cross country, track and field, bowling, and wrestling.
LAKER LIFE With thirty clubs and activities, students are inspired to find his or her niche that aligns with their unique interests and talents. Clubs focus on areas of leadership, service, social awareness, cultural learning, academics, fun and fitness, and the arts.
RECENT RENOVATIONS Vorsheck Library and Research Center Our recently transformed Library and Research Center enables our students to be miles ahead of the secondary standard in scholarly research and state-of-the-art technologies. Bill and Audrey Hirt DREAM Lab This innovative space facilitates creative endeavors with a combination of CADD (computer- aided design and drafting), 3-D design, and hands-on learning. zSpace is an educational solution that creates the ultimate learning experience by combining Augmented Reality (AR) with Virtual Reality (VR). zSpace uses an all-in-one computer to create a lifelike and interactive experience for students for use across the curriculum. Performing Arts Center (PAC) Our recently renovated PAC boasts a cutting-edge flying system, acoustics, lighting, and climate control. These improvements will help prepare our students for the creative endeavors of a 21st- century actor, dancer, vocalist, musician, lighting designer, and technician.
CONTEMPORARY UPDATES 201 Hub Mercyhurst Prep is investing in STEAM technology resources to transform current Room 201 into a coding and robotics hub. Additionally, a recording studio and small television production room will be open to students interested in the audio and visual field. The addition of Oculus Go2 will dovetail with our zSpace machines and allow teachers to adopt technology and bring it directly into their classroom. The DREAM Lab will now be home to our brand-new eSports team and high-end gaming computers. New Soccer and Softball Field Starting this fall, our soccer and softball teams will have a brand-new turf field to call home. Located within a few steps of the MPS campus, the field offers the safest artificial turf system available today. The new field at the William J. Vorsheck Athletic Complex will accommodate practices and games both day and night under the newly installed stadium lights.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS Mercyhurst Prep has relationships with several local and regional colleges where Lakers benefit academically and financially. Collaborations with Mercyhurst University Partnered in Mercy, Mercyhurst Prep and Mercyhurst University offer several partnership opportunities. Designed for high-achieving high school juniors, the Accelerated Scholars Program provides students the opportunity to earn a semester’s worth of college credits by taking authentic Mercyhurst University courses during their junior and senior years in high school. Through Dual Enrollment, Mercyhurst Prep students can take university-level courses at Mercyhurst University and earn transferrable college credits. The agreed course articulations afford Mercyhurst Prep students the chance to earn college credits and fulfill Mercyhurst University curriculum requirements simply by completing equivalent courses at Mercyhurst Prep. Admission to Mercyhurst University is guaranteed for Mercyhurst Prep students who meet certain GPA and application requirements. Mercyhurst University will also expedite application review for Mercyhurst Prep students, and release their admissions decisions in just a few weeks.
Mercyhurst Prep students who are admitted to Mercyhurst University and have a high school GPA of 2.75 or higher will receive a $23,000 Mercy Legacy Scholarship, a $1,000 Diocese of Erie Scholarship, and a $1,000 Sisters of Mercy Award. These awards are renewable for four years, provided the student continues to make satisfactory academic progress and meet eligibility requirements. In addition, students who reside in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and choose to live on campus are eligible for a $2,500 Erie County housing grant.
Partnership with Carlow University Founded in 1929 by the Sisters of Mercy and situated on a beautiful park-like campus in Pittsburgh, Carlow University guarantees undergraduate admission and at least $22,000 (a four- year value of $88,000) per year to MPS graduates who possess certain academic qualifications and enroll at Carlow as first-time, full-time students in the fall semester following their graduation from MPS.
Partnership with Saint Francis University Saint Francis University, located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, guarantees admission and a four- year renewable scholarship to eligible graduates of Mercyhurst Prep who enroll in qualified academic programs at Saint Francis. Students who meet the academic criteria will receive, at minimum, a $16,000 four-year award with a total value of $64,000. Additionally, all graduates of Catholic high schools also receive an annual stackable $2,000 Franciscan Award.
Articulation Agreements with Gannon University and Mercyhurst University Course articulations afford Mercyhurst Prep students the chance to earn college credits and fulfill Gannon University and Mercyhurst University curriculum requirements simply by completing equivalent courses at Mercyhurst Prep. Affiliation with Penn State University Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers learning opportunities of a major research university in a welcoming student-centered campus environment. Its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 854 acres.
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA Mercyhurst Prep’s beautiful seven-acre campus is located in Erie, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Mercyhurst University, where the schools share several facilities.
Erie, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region is situated on the shore of the Great Lake Erie and offers numerous outdoor activities in this safe community of 270,000. Erie is an accessible city, located in close proximity to the major U.S. cities of Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, as well as Toronto, Canada.
DESIRED QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS Mercyhurst Prep operates in the President/Principal Leadership Model. In this model, the principal reports to the president and is responsible for the day-to-day academic operations of the school, which enables the president to be the outward-facing “institution builder” and vision setter, fundraiser, and public voice for the unique brand of a Catholic Mercy education. As such, the Board of Trustees seeks a dynamic and mission-driven leader who will use the office of the presidency to continue to bring awareness of the powerful value proposition of Mercyhurst Prep in the community. The ideal candidate will have earned a Master’s Degree in education, school administration, or a related field and have significant leadership experience in a secondary education school or a comparable organizational environment. The candidate will have strong organizational, leadership, managerial skills and experience and will be able to display a history of collaborative work with colleagues, peers, leaders, and community members as this position requires a person with a strong cooperative approach. Ideally, the candidate will have a great understanding of and experience in building donor relationships and have a successful track record in fundraising. Familiarity with building budgets and working with financial concerns, risk management, strategic planning, and human resource management is essential in this leadership position. The candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills and exceptional communication skills, both written and oral. The candidate must be able to engage diverse constituencies with a warm, welcoming attitude. This leadership position is a wonderful opportunity for a faith-filled leader seeking an opportunity to lead Mercyhurst Prep as it moves toward the celebration of 100 years and into the next century of Mercy education in Erie, Pennsylvania.
TO APPLY The deadline to apply is July 21, 2021. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply to [email protected] and submit the following documents:
• Cover letter expressing interest in this particular position • A current resume • A list of three current professional references with name, phone number, and email address (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission)